50+ POPULATION DETERMINED TO NOT FADE AWAY

50+ POPULATION DETERMINED TO NOT FADE AWAY

Survey shows high levels of satisfaction, optimism and youthful pursuits

NEW YORK, NY – 13 Jul, 2017 – The Boomer / neXt population, which consists of the entirety of the Baby Boom generation (ages 53-71) and those members of Generation X now in their early 50s, are pleased with their life stories to date and look forward to coming chapters, according to results from a recent survey conducted by consultancy Boomer / neXt. Among the findings from the survey are:

• 80 percent agree that their lives have contained many more successes than failures, and 64 percent say they carry few regrets

• Maintaining friendships that date from childhood is a hallmark of 69 percent

• 70 percent say that their best days remain ahead of them

• 68 percent agree that compiling a “bucket list” of goals to attain makes an excellent addition to one’s life

• Nearly all respondents (94%) agree that “older” equals “wiser”

• The idea of leaving the US to settle in another country in retirement is an intriguing notion to 42 percent

• 62 percent believe they look at least a decade younger than their actual age, and 62 percent also feel that their interests and activities are similar to those of a much younger person

• Among those in their 50s, 42 percent say they feel no older than 40. And for those in their 60s, nearly half (48 percent) feel no older than a 50-year-old.

• Among the entire population surveyed, 56 percent associate “being old” with age 80 and up

“Whether looking back or ahead, we found that majorities of the Boomer / neXt population are highly satisfied with the lives they’ve led and are ready to tackle what’s to come,” said Barry Robertson, Partner in Boomer / neXt. “Contrary to many media portrayals and advertising stereotypes, our survey finds relentlessly upbeat thoughts with the years ahead promising opportunity, not decay and decline. Marketers that can capture this feeling in their communications will be rewarded.”

• Among those who are Baby Boomers, 87 percent were able to correctly place themselves in this generational category. When asked what comes to mind when hearing the words “Baby Boom,” the association most offered is a grounding in time and history, as the generation that was born “after WW II” or in “the 50s” and similar responses.

By a 12 to 1 ratio, survey participants provided positive associations over negative ones to the generational tag. A 60-year-old male commented “I think of a happier time in America when right and wrong were clear. The truth meant something.” A 65-year-old male said “there was pride in working and we were savers, not wasters.” A 55-year-old female commented that “we were hard-working, strong, self-sufficient and responsible,” while another female, a decade older, associates the phrase with “shaker-uppers, peaceful protesters, the age of Rock and Roll, of great advancements in technology.” A 65-year-old man strung together a litany of positives: “competent, responsible, innovative, accomplished, intelligent, patriotic, highly educated.” A 53-year-old male states “people of this generation tend to have a greater work ethic and sense of self-sufficiency.”

Reflecting the timeframe in question, one strain of respondents described their generation’s zeitgeist with mentions of “hippies / grass / free love / flower children / unlocked doors / peace and love,” while another strain noted “bomb shelters / hiding under desks at school / Vietnam / Cuban missile crisis / only 3 channels on TV.”

• One area where those surveyed might seek improvements is the financial sphere: only 44 percent say they are content with the amount of money they currently have saved.

About the Survey

The Boomer/neXt Survey of respondents between the ages of 50 and 71 was conducted online from March 29-31 by esearch.com. Five hundred and ten respondents were interviewed via a representative survey, which corresponds to a margin of error of plus or minus four percent at the 95% level of confidence. Confidence levels among certain subgroups from the sample may have a higher margin of error.

Boomer/neXt, with offices in Boulder and New York City, is a leading consultancy which focuses on the 111 million Americans who are currently 50 years of age and older. Boomer/neXt provides strategic planning, research-based insights and consultative services to clients in industries that want to understand and unleash the power of this population, which includes the totality of the Baby Boom generation.